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IBM's top 5 predictions for unified communications: Desktop computers and phones will disappear

IBM to pump $1 billion into its unified communications strategy
Convergence & VoIP Alert By Steve Taylor and Larry Hettick , Network World , 03/24/2008
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Steve Taylor and Larry Hettick offer news and analysis on the latest in IP convergence from fixed-mobile convergence, presence management, IP video and unified communications.

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VoiceCon 2008 wrapped up in Orlando last week and the conference was jam-packed with news, announcements, and observable trends so we will spend the next several editions reviewing a few highlights. Today, we'll focus on a keynote and related announcements from IBM. In his keynote address, Mike Rhodin, Lotus Software general manager gave five predictions about global unified communications and in a follow-up interview, Larry got the chance to find out how IBM will invest up to $1 billion to help meet the changing business communications requirements.

The predictions made in Rhodin's keynote and also released in a related statement include:

1. The virtual workplace will become the rule. Desk phones and desktop computers will gradually disappear, replaced by mobile devices, including laptops that take on traditional office capabilities. Social networking tools and virtual world meeting experiences will simulate the feeling on being there in-person.

2. Instant messaging and other real-time collaboration tools will become the norm, bypassing e-mail. Just as e-mail became a business necessity, a new generation of workers has a new expectation for instant messaging as the preferred method of business interaction.

3. Beyond phone calls to collaborative business processes: Companies will go beyond the initial capabilities of IM, like click-to-call and online presence, to deep integration with business processes and line-of-business applications.

4. Interoperability and open standards will tear down proprietary walls across business and public domains. Corporate demand for interoperability and maturing of industry standards will force unified communications providers to embrace interoperability.

5. New meeting models will emerge. The definition of "meetings" will radically transform and become increasingly adhoc and instantaneous based on context and need.

In an interview at VoiceCon, Akiba Saeedi, director of Unified Communications and Collaboration for IBM Lotus elaborated on IBM’s plans. To meet the changing trends outlined in the keynote, IBM plans to invest up to $1 billion in four key areas. First, IBM plans to increase spending on developing products that are both hardware and software based. Second, the company will invest in the people and tools needed to increase capabilities in technology services. Third, IBM will continue to improve its industry process expertise. And fourth, the company will continue to grow its partner ecosystem.

Steve Taylor is president of Distributed Networking Associates and publisher/editor-in-chief of Webtorials. Larry Hettick is a principal analyst at Current Analysis.

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That's a great solution.By Anonymous on March 28, 2008, 11:33 amThat's a great solution. Stop using the network. All our problems will go away instantly.

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email vs IMBy Anonymous on March 27, 2008, 12:55 pmIM will be growing more than email. However, we won't get rid of it. Particularly, for business need email is replacing official memorandum. email is used very often...

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IBM is full of crapolaBy Anonymous on March 26, 2008, 9:00 amSocial networking in a business context? These guys are smoking dope and pushing their distorted realities on an unsuspecting user-base. The biggest problem with...

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IBM FutureBy Anonymous on March 25, 2008, 10:00 amI would agree in part but I am not sure how to address the needs for virtual bandwidth driving programs and processes as well as the issues of 3G wireless as well...

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unified communicationsBy Anonymous on March 25, 2008, 9:25 amWithout a secure encryption method and security it will expose all to what is crippling the net today only at a larger scale

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